There are Germans from the southern areas close to France that have a more olive skin color and dark eyes and hair. My mom’s mother’s family was from there. She and my sister both had/have dark brown hair and very dark eyes and tan easily. But no one would mistake for black even in mid-summer.
Absolutely true, Redangus.
My family is from Southwestern Germany, too, and my late grandfather did look - in terms of his light tan complexion and blackish-brown hair - almost as if he could have been from Northern Italy - although he had gray eyes - and was much taller than your average Italian🙂
Yours truly is also one of the light tan complected types, but my eyes are light green and my hair is dark blonde. Or rather, it used to be, as it is getting grayer by the day🙂
And Wardaddy is right about history being forced to serve a political purpose. Just because even Central Europeans might be slightly darker, this is no indication that they are black or had black ancestors. Especially since their facial features were/are nothing but European…
This always grinds my gears, as I am a historian by training, and I detest my vocation being forced to do the bidding of some political agenda, especially one which has obviously no basis in fact…
I have a friend born to immigrants from Nuremberg. She has dark hair, dark eyes, and skin that tans easily. Her coloring reminds me of my Italian relatives.